P1-million NPC meals?

The Commission on Audit (CoA) flagged the National Privacy Commission (NPC) over improper procurement planning for various activities, including meals and supplies during meetings, which had cost nearly P1 million.

CoA’s report covering 2022 said that NPC had failed to “adequately plan” its procurement for the year, such as provisions for certain activities that needed to be carried out, specifically the purchase of meals and supplies during meetings, events, and various activities.

The same were not included in the Project Procurement Management Plan (PPMP) and the Annual Procurement Plan (AAP) of the agency, in violation of the Government Procurement Reform Act (RA 9184) affecting the transparency and competitiveness requirement in its procurement process, CoA said.

Section 7 of the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 9184 mandates that all procurement within the approved budget of the procuring entity should be meticulously and judiciously planned. No procurement shall be undertaken unless approved by the APP, including approved changes, it said.

The APP must be consistent with the duly approved yearly budget of the procuring entity and shall bear the approval of the head of the procuring entity or a second-ranking official designated by HoPE to act on his behalf.

“These items, when aggregated, are material and, thus, should have been part of the PPMP and APP as provided for by RA No. 9184 that no procurement should have been undertaken unless it is in accordance with the approved APP,” CoA said.

The auditing body emphasized that non-compliance with the guidelines in preparing the APP and PPMPs “defeated the purpose of the government procurement law of promoting transparency, accountability, equity, and efficiency.”

CoA said the NPC must instruct its Bids and Awards Committee to guide their offices to carefully plan their activities, particularly purchases to be undertaken during the year, regardless of the amount that should be included in the PPMP.